1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication device and a communication method preferable for an electronic mail communication system that uses a portable telephone or a personal computer. In particular, the present invention relates to those including a control device which, when transmitting electronic mail information to a destination, reads out domain name information with regard to a telecommunication services operator from a memory storage by using identification number information of the telecommunication services operator as an address, thereby combining the telephone number information input by a user and the domain name information read out from a memory storage to automatically establish a mail address therein, so that input operability of a mail address can be improved in comparison with the conventional method.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, some cases where electronic mail (e-mail) communication services are used have been increased to send messages to a destination by converting contents which have traditionally been delivered by post-mail into pieces of electronic information. In this kind of service system, electronic mails are transmitted and received among portable telephones, among portable telephones and personal computers (hereinafter, referred to as PC), or among PCs.
In this service system, when transmitting e-mail to a destination, mail information contents and a mail address are inputted into the communication processor in a portable telephone or a PC.
In such a service system, a mail address is usually made up of a telephone number of a destination, an at-mark-symbol “@” and a domain name of a telecommunication services operator. A domain name means in this specification is character and/or symbol information for distinguishing various telecommunication services operators. Based on the mail address, the telecommunication services operator transmits e-mail information to the portable telephones, the PCs and so on of the destination.
Now, the conventional communication service system using electronic mails have the following problems.
(1) When a user transmits an e-mail from his/her portable telephone or his/her personal computer to a portable telephone or a personal computer of a destination, he/she inputs a telephone number of the destination into his/her own device, that is, portable telephone or PC. Further, he/she has to input a domain name component after an at-mark-symbol “@”, by inputting Roman characters (alphabets) or symbols.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 2000-148363 discloses a system which uses abbreviated dialing functions for a mail address, which associates an abbreviated number and a mail address. According to this function, with regard to a mail address comprising the telephone number of destination, an at-mark-symbol @ and a domain name of the telecommunication services operator, the user registers the abbreviated number and the mail address in one-to-one correspondence into a memory device in a portable telephone. In transmitting e-mail information, the abbreviated number is used as an address for the purpose of reading out the mail address concerned.
Therefore, from the next time on, the mail address can be read out with the abbreviated number. However, it is necessary for the first time communication to input all the mail address components including the telephone number of the destination, an at-mark-symbol @ and a domain name of the telecommunication services operator, thus causing some troubles of inputting the domain name components after an at-mark-symbol “@”.
(2) Additionally, when the domain name of the telecommunication services operator is changed from the registered one, it is necessary for the user to update the registered mail address. That is, when the domain name of the telecommunication services operator is changed, the user must by himself/herself change the memory content in the portable telephone. When the domain name of the telecommunication services operator is changed, it is not possible to transmit e-mail using the telephone number alone without renewing the domain name. However, it is noted that, in a case where the telecommunication services operator of the destination is the same as that of the user, it is possible to transmit e-mail information by inputting the telephone number alone.